First Post - Looking for a scanner recommendation

[ChrisSkydiver]

Hi there,

Just new to the forums, but I'm a pretty technical user however I feel out of the loop with current technologies. I currently own a BC92XLT (Nearly Identical to the BC95XLT) and I'd like to get a new scanner that will allow me to hear a few more stations.

I'm primarily interested in Aviation as I live beside the airport in Ottawa, Ontario, but I'd also like to be able to hear fire, police, and medical as well as some other smaller categories (HAM, local construction/traffic, FRS/GMRS etc..) Purely because I'm a complete nerd when it comes to electronics and I'm curious to know what's going on when I hear sirens or when I'm sitting at the airport etc...

Anyways, here's what I do know that I require:
-Handheld (ideally)
-Digital (Not sure, but I know if I want police I'll need digital)
-EDACS Compatible
-Police Compatible (if possible)
-Programmable via PC upload (IE: USB connection) (not mandatory, but ideal)
-Coverage for required frequencies (Aviation, FRS/GMRS, HAM, Police, Fire, Medical etc)

Questions:
-Can I still pickup analog signals if I have a digital scanner? ie: Can I still listen to aviation frequencies?
-Is it possible to listen to police at all in Ottawa, or would I buy digital for no reason?

I've been looking around and I've come up with a few potentials, but I'd like to hear what the community has to say about the best all around scanner for my requirements, and area. I've read a few posts but they're not exactly current, so I'm trying to get a recommendation for a current decent scanner.

I've looked at these, but I have no idea if they're compatible with the EDACS system here in Ottawa, nor if they're decent. I understand the 346 would not pickup police, but the 500/800 would?
-BC346XT
-PSR500 or PSR800 (what's the difference aside from pre-loaded database?)

Thanks for everyone's help! I really appreciate it!

 

[Forts]

I can answer a few of your questions...

- Yes, a digital scanner will still pickup analog signals. No problems there.
- Ottawa Police.. unfortunately you are out of luck here. The current crop of digital scanners work with what is commonly referred to as 'P25' digital audio. Ottawa Police use a different digital format called ProVoice, which no current scanner currently supports. The OPP however use P25 digital, so you would be able to listen to them.
- As far as EDACS goes, all current trunk tracking scanners (pretty much all of them over last 10 years or so actually) will work just fine.

 

[ChrisSkydiver]

Thanks for the info! I was just reading about the Ottawa Police and am fairly shocked that they're leading edge with encryption. Surprising! Too bad though!

So, it sounds like I can get everything I need except Ottawa police, but I can still get OPP and maybe RCMP?

Knowing this information, does a Digital scanner have a benefit for me? I am under the impression that an analog scanner would accomplish the same thing since I can't access OPS anyways. Am I wrong about this?

 

[ChrisSkydiver]

Is this a valid comparison of current models?

Hello,

I just found his page, which I believe is current. It seem to correlate to the models I keep coming up with (BCD296 & PSR-500/800)

Just wondering if this is a fair and accurate comparison:

Digital Scanner Comparison Chart - The RadioReference Wiki

Thanks!

 

[VE3JSO]

hi welcome to the forums my best suggestion would be the gre psr 500 witch is around 599.99 CDN from the source.ca or the radio shack version pro 106 (399.99 USD or when on sale 249.99-299.99) from radio shack website both are hand helds but if you are looking for something that is easy to program i would suggest uniden home patrol or the new scanner by gre the psr 800 these scanners would be able to track anything but provoice mototrbo and another system can't remember the name of it

 

[SCPD]

I would recommend the GRE PSR500 or newer PSR800.

 

[krokus]

You might want to consider the PSR-500C. (That is the Canadian version of the PSR-500.) It is configured for the band plans on your side of the river, but there are a few other differences. (I have not followed them that closely, the Canadians on this forum can probably answer better than I can, and I figure that the C model is what you would get from a Canadian-based retailer.)

I do not know if there is a C version of the PSR-800, or if there is a difference between the C and US versions, other than the database load.

I have not tried programming any recent Uniden scanners, so I can't comment on differences in programming. If you go with the PSR-500, I would recommend getting Win500, PSR Edit, or ARC500, along with a premium membership to this website, to program it with. (The programs all offer demo time, to test the functionality, and the all authors participate on the forums on this site.)

 

[DaveH]

Thanks for the info! I was just reading about the Ottawa Police and am fairly shocked that they're leading edge with encryption. Surprising! Too bad though!

So, it sounds like I can get everything I need except Ottawa police, but I can still get OPP and maybe RCMP?

Knowing this information, does a Digital scanner have a benefit for me? I am under the impression that an analog scanner would accomplish the same thing since I can't access OPS anyways. Am I wrong about this?

Provoice isn't leading edge. EDACS as a system is on the discontinution list. Ottawa
Police to my knowledge are not for the most part encrypted (common confusion between
digital modulation and digital+encryption). Software running on Linux can decode non-encrypted
Provoice (have not tried it myself).

BC346/equiv. analog scanner would give you Ontario Fleetnet with EMS, plus 800MHz
city EDACS for Ottawa Fire and EMS special channels. Adding digital gives you OPP, but
RCMP I believe is almost completely encrypted P25. Gatineau Fire on their 800MHz
P25 is good, Gatineau PD is encrypted. The only other P25 around is on the Quebec
side: Hydro-Quebec (if you like that kind of listening) and RENIR, new P25 system
for Police (SQ, promising 100% encryption) and other agencies.

A lot of the other ordinary stuff can be heard on a cheap non-trunking scanner,
the kind you can find online or at fleamarkets for $50 or less. This would be
in addition to a trunking scanner. I'd try to get one with at least 20 channels,
and search function (which not all bottom-end ones have).
Dave

 

[ChrisSkydiver]

Thanks for all the great info everyone!

I'm still undecided about going digital or just moving to a trunked Analog...

I realize digital is the future and I'd be better off, but I don't know if I can justify the cost for the little extra I'd be getting here in Ottawa.

I'm thinking the BC346XT might be my best bet. Any other suggestions, for an analog radio? I'm happy with my current Uniden, but it's not trunked so...

 

[SCPD]

I think that the expense of the digital scanner is worth it. I have little or no P25 in Edmonton but I went with a PSR500 and never regretted it. I personally find that the GRE products have a much better user interface than the Uniden scanners. But the Unidens close call is much better than the GRE's Signal Sweeper. The capture of things like CTCSS and DCS tones are also much better on the GRE models.

Hope this helps.

 

[torontokris]

As forts said you wont get Ottawa Police but you can get Ottawa area OPP with a digital scanner which can be interesting. The analogs WILL get the EDACS system (not provoice though no scanner will)

I sell the gre psr-500 for $400 brand new + shipping
gre psr-800 $450 + shipping
Uniden bcd396xt $460 + shipping
Uniden Home Patrol hp-1 $550 + shipping (lightly used unit in box for $400 + shipping)
Uniden 346xt $250 + shipping